Fire engulfs barn

Force: Cause of early morning blaze remains under investigation

Buffie Boyer

Sentinel reporter

bboyer@lewistownsentinel.com

GRANVILLE –Fire companies were dispatched to a fully-engulfed barn fire early Sunday morning at the intersection of Sand Ridge Road and Ferguson Valley Road in Granville Township.

At 3:30 a.m., Bill Aurand, whose mother Dot Aurand owns the barn, said his wife woke up and saw the sky lit up from the flames which they could see from the house a quarter mile away. After calling 911, the couple went to his mother’s home and saw the barn, which has been in the family for many generations, in flames.

Aurand said the 1830s barn was used for equipment storage only, as the family stopped farming several years ago.

“The firemen got here quickly and did everything they could,”Aurand said. “They protected the woods and surrounding buildings and contained the fire.”

The barn is a total loss and Fire Marshall Mike Force said the fire continues to be under investigation. Aurand said there was no activity at the barn and the family is hoping for some insight into the cause of the fire.

Fire companies responding to the fire were, Granville, West Granville, McVeytown, Decatur, Reedsville, Highland Park, East Derry, Newton Wayne, Burnham, Milroy, Junction, United Fire and Rescue and Fame EMS. The box was cleared at 6:51 a.m. after a rekindle at 6:40 a.m.